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Show notes

This week: how Jakob Ingebrigtsen was beaten over 5km on the roads, the physiology of altitude and 800m pacing, and what to do with outrageous teenage talent:

• (00:02:33) The Ultimate Championships, national vests, and whether real-time data on release angle could make field events worth watching
• (00:14:58) The World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, where Ingebrigtsen was beaten by Eritrea's Dawit Seare in the 5km. We trace the decisive suicidal surge at 4km, why closing that three-second gap emptied his tank for the last 200m, and what it means for athletes who race the Norweigian over 5000m in future. Plus, we preview a show focused on the fascinating approach that Ingebrigtsen brings to his life and training
• (00:26:29) Likina Amebaw wins the women's 5km, Agnes Ngetich sets a women-only half marathon record, and Andreas Almgren runs a 58:06 European record ahead of his New York Marathon debut
• (00:33:16) Nairobi gets the 2029 World Championships at 1,760m. Why does thin air help sprinters (and track cyclists) but hurt anyone racing 1500m and up?
• (00:42:08) Athlos, 'action density', Keely Hodgkinson's speed suit, and whether aerodynamics matters in running at all
• (00:55:05) Are women pacing the 800m wrong? Peripheral fatigue, and why race duration (roughly 100 vs 115 seconds) might shift the optimal strategy
• (01:01:28) Enric Mas wins the Vuelta, and a wide-open cycling Worlds road race awaits
• (01:08:29) 13-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi wins two Asian Games golds. How should coaches handle talent this young?
• (01:17:18) Joe Warne explains MetaStudent, pooling student research projects into bigger, better studies
• (01:22:28) And finally, the Red Roses' 39-match winning streak ends, Wales women put 50 on South Africa, and Anna's ride around Australia reaches nine magpie attacks and counting!

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In a groundbreaking study - commissioned by the British Heart Foundation and published in July 2025 (see details below) - Dr Peter Swoboda led a team from the University of Leeds to establish whether prolonged endurance exercise could be a risk factor for heart health in older athletes. The results offer revealing insight into the role of exercise in long-term heart health and whether endurance training carries any risks. Dr Swoboda also explains the basics of what exercise does for heart health, which types of exercise work best, why sudden death can happen in sporting events, and how best to look after your heart in the long term. Swoboda is an Associate Professor of Cardiology and Consultant Cardiologist at the University of Leeds with over 100 peer-reviewed publications.

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SHOW NOTES

• The VENTOUX Study led by our guest, Dr Peter Swoboda
• The British Heart Foundation write up of that study's first finding
• A recent review article that looks at the overall picture of heart health in endurance trained athletes, discussing the three risk factors we explore on the show
• One of those risk factors is Coronary Artery Disease, which is studied in this paper
• Going back some time, this is one of the papers that first raised the fear that endurance training in large doses could be harmful to the heart
• One of a few studies that showed progressive improvements in life expectancy and health with more exercise
• Alex Hutchinson has done a great deal to explain the risks, and misplaced fears, of endurance training. Here is one such article
• Another by Hutchinson, from 2021, providing a good overview of the three purported risks of endurance training on the heart

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More than most other species, humans are perfectly adapted to endurance running. We may not be the fastest or strongest, but our ability to endure meant our early ancestors could survive and thrive, and modern-day humans can rightfully claim we are all meant to run. Prof. Ross Tucker and sports journalist Mike Finch, who has been the editor of Runner's World SA for 26 years, discuss the amazing adaptations that humans have developed for running, why running may be the most natural sport for you to do, how to train from couch to 5km safely and effectively, the role of shoe tech and why the world seems to be on a running high right now.

Show notes

• The original Lieberman paper, Running and the Evolution of Homo
• That paper was challenged, not for what, but why. Here's one example
• The BBC video of a bushman hunting down a kudu
• In time, evidence emerged to support Lieberman's argument, showing persistence hunting in over 200 geographical locations
• How many injuries? A systematic review and meta-analysis on injury rates in runners
• A systematic review on risk factors for injury during running
• One of the more robust research studies looking at pronation and injury risk
• Subsequent analysis of that paper offered more support for motion control shoes in specific populations
• The plot thickens: Another well-conducted study finds that pronation does not increase injury risk in novice runners

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